Inflatable support system

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is an inflatable support system having at least two sections. The inflatable support system has a lower chamber that has a top and bottom layer. The inflatable support system also has an upper portion which includes a top and bottom layer in fluid communication with the lower chamber. At least one of either the top or bottom layers of the upper portion of the inflatable support system has a higher elasticity than at least one of the layers of the lower chamber.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present patent document is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 10/117,343, filed Apr. 8, 2002, which claimspriority to application Ser. No. 09/918,561, filed Aug. 1, 2001 and isrelated to Design application Ser. No. 29/158,559, filed Apr. 8, 2002.All of the foregoing applications are hereby incorporated by referencein their entirety.

[0002] The present patent document also claims the benefit of the filingdate under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of Provisional U.S. patent application Ser.No. 60/396,378, filed Jul. 17, 2002, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0003] 1. Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to the field of inflatable supportsystems, particularly to an inflatable support system having at leasttwo sections and an improved level of comfort.

[0005] 2. Background Information

[0006] Inflatable mattresses have been available for many years. It isdesirable for inflatable mattresses to have as high a comfort level aspossible. One way to further improve the comfort level of inflatablemattresses is to provide a secondary chamber positioned on top of alower chamber. The lower chamber provides support for the user, whilethe upper chamber may be specially designed to increase the user'scomfort level.

[0007] Related application Ser. No. 10/117,343, filed Apr. 8, 2002, ofwhich this application is a continuation-in-part, discloses aninflatable support system having two separate chambers. The top andbottom chambers of this support system are in fluid communication witheach other, and are formed from the same material. The top chamber isconstructed such that the outer circumference can be sealed to the lowercomponent. This leads to improved comfort over prior inflatablemattresses, but it is desirable to further improve the comfort level.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0008] Disclosed herein is an inflatable support system having at leasttwo sections. The inflatable support system has a lower chamber that hasa top and bottom layer. The inflatable support system also has an upperportion which includes a top and bottom layer in fluid communicationwith the lower chamber. At least one of either the top or bottom layersof the upper portion of the inflatable support system has a higherelasticity than at least one of the layers of the lower chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is an alternate perspective view of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a top planar view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a bottom planar view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a side planar view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a side planar view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 7 is a side planar view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 presentedsuch that the interior can be seen;

[0017]FIG. 9 is a perspective cut-away view of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the enlarged portion of FIG. 9;

[0019]FIG. 11 is a close up view of a corner of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

[0021]FIG. 13 is an alternative embodiment of the present inventionshowing a sinusoidal wave welding pattern.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PRESENTLY PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS

[0022] Referring in combination to FIGS. 1-12, a first embodiment of theair mattress 10 of the present invention is shown. The mattress 10comprises a lower chamber 12 and an upper portion 14. In a firstembodiment, this lower chamber 12 and upper portion 14 are in the shapeof a conventional mattress, but can also take other shapes and sizes asneeded. For example, the lower chamber 12 could be king, queen, twin orfull-sized. Other sizes and shapes are also envisioned. The lowerchamber 12 is formed from a top layer 16, a side gusset 18 and a bottomlayer 20. The side gusset 18 connects the top layer 16 and bottom layer20. The side gusset 18 can be continuous with the top 16 and bottom 20layers, or can be welded to the top 16 and bottom layers 20. In thefirst embodiment, the mattress 10 of the present invention includes afirst 22 and a second 24 valve. The first valve 22 is located on a side26 of the lower chamber 12 opposite the side 28 where a pump 30 isattached. Alternatively, the first valve 22 could be positioned at anylocation on the side gusset 18. The first valve 22 is used to rapidlydeflate the mattress 10 when necessary. An example of such a valve isdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,363; 5,367,726; and 6,237,621 toChaffee.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the present invention includes asecond valve 24 utilized to adjust the comfort level of the mattress 10.This second valve 24 is positioned on or adjacent to the pump 30,although it can be located anywhere on the mattress 10. An example ofsuch a second valve positioned on a pump is described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,267,363 and 5,367,726 to Chaffee.

[0024] The lower chamber 12 and an upper portion 14, each constructed offlexible panels having varying levels of elasticity defined by the typeof material used to construct each panel. The lower chamber 12 has a toplayer 16 formed from a polyvinyl material such as K-70 18-gauge PVC,while the bottom layer 20 is preferably formed from a higher gaugeK-70PVC material, such as 28-gauge. The side gusset 18 is formed fromthe same material as the top layer 16 of the lower chamber 12.Alternatively, the side gusset 18 could be formed from other materials,such as K-70 28-gauge PVC.

[0025] Internal to the lower chamber 12 are structural elements thatperform a similar function to the coils of a conventional mattress.These elements, or “coils” 32 as referred to herein, are utilized toprovide support within the lower chamber 12. As is more clearly shown inFIG. 10, in one embodiment the coils 32 have the shape of elongatedovals, and extend from the bottom layer 20 of the lower chamber 12 tothe top layer 16 of the lower chamber 12. The coils 32 are sealed ateach end and form interstitial spaces between them. The sealed ends 34of the coils 32 are sonically welded to the top and bottom layers 16, 20of the lower chamber 12. The coils 32 are formed from K-80 16-gauge PVCmaterial to provide flexibility. The coils 32 are preferably aligned inparallel rows extending across the lower chamber 12. This parallelarrangement of coils 32 in the lower chamber 12 forms channels throughwhich air flows during inflation. The arrows and dotted lines in FIG. 8show the path of air as the lower chamber 12 is inflated.

[0026] The overall effect of the coil 32 shape and arrangement is toform a box-like construction for the lower chamber 12, much like aconventional mattress. The use of materials such as K-70 18 and 28-gaugePVC adds to the strength of the lower chamber 12, while materials suchas K-80 16-gauge PVC add to the flexibility of the lower chamber 12. Theuse of higher gauge material such as K-70 28-gauge PVC in the bottomlayer 20 of the lower chamber 12 is beneficial because such material is“stiffer” than the lower gauge material used in the other layer of thelower chamber 12. This material has more resistance to bias, and thusprevents the sides of the mattress 10 from curling up when inflated.This allows the mattress 10 to remain flat on a surface.

[0027] In an alternative embodiment not shown in the Figures, the lowerchamber 12 is continuous, and does not contain any coils 32 for extrasupport. The use of differently-shaped coils and different arrangementsof coils 32, such as those coils described in U.S. Design applicationSer. No. 29/154,102 is also envisioned.

[0028] The first embodiment of the present invention also comprises apillow member upper portion 14 affixed to the lower chamber 12. As shownin exploded view in FIG. 12, the upper portion 14 is constructed from atop 36 and a bottom 38 layer, each constructed from K-80 16-gauge PVC,which are then sonically welded or otherwise attached to the top layer16 of the bottom chamber 12. The top layer 36 of the upper portion 14 ispositioned on top of the bottom layer 38 of the upper portion 14 and ispreferably formed from high elastic K-80 16-gauge PVC. The top 36 andbottom 38 layers are shaped to substantially match the shape of thelower chamber 12, but these layers do not extend completely to the sidegusset 18 of the lower chamber 12. The top 36 and bottom 38 layers arewelded together around the edges of the top and bottom layers 36, 38,and the bottom layer 38 of the upper portion 14 is preferably welded tothe top layer 16 of the lower chamber 12 along the outer edge 40 of thebottom layer 12. This allows the upper portion 14 to form a pillowmember upper portion 14 with increased comfort without extending pastthe sides of the lower chamber 12 or extending significantly above thetop layer 16 of the lower chamber 12. This also eliminates the need foran additional supporting structure around the upper chamber 14. Theupper portion 14 is welded to the lower chamber 12 by sonic welding orchemical bonding. Other types of welding known in the art are alsoenvisioned.

[0029] In an alternative embodiment, the bottom layer 38 of the upperportion 14 can be constructed from K-80 PVC having different gauges thanthose described in the first embodiment, as long as it is a materialthat has a higher elasticity than the material used to construct theside gusset 18 and/or the bottom layer 20 of the lower chamber 12. Insuch an embodiment, the bottom layer 38 of the top portion 14 is the toplayer 16 of the bottom chamber 12.

[0030] The lower chamber 12 of the present invention is inflatable usinga pump 30, and deflatable using a first 22 and/or a second valve 24. Thevalves 22, 24 may be any type of valves known in the art, capable ofallowing easy deflation. The pump 30 may be attached to the mattress 10,or can be detachable.

[0031] Different pumps 30 may be utilized in the present invention. Inone embodiment, the pump 30 can be battery or DC-powered. Alternatively,the pump can plug into a standard household electrical socket. The pump30 may be externally or internally mounted, and may incorporate acontrol that allows a user to control the pressure within the mattress10 such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,363 and 5,367,726,both to Robert Chaffee. The pump 30 should be powerful enough to fillboth the upper portion 14 and lower chamber 12 of the mattress 10 with agas or fluid, such that the lower chamber 12 in combination with theupper portion 14 provide a comfortable surface for a user. The pump 30can be designed to automatically stop inflating the mattress 10 when thepressure within the mattress 10 reaches a certain level. Furthermore,the pump 30 could also monitor the pressure within the mattress 10 andautomatically activate in order to maintain a specific pressure.

[0032] The combination of the pump 30 and the second valve 24 allows auser to adjust the comfort level of the mattress 10 by adjusting thepressure in the mattress 10. A user can increase the pressure by usingthe pump 30 to add air to the mattress 10, and decrease the pressure bygradually letting air escape at the second valve 24.

[0033] It is also possible to utilize a detachable pump, which is notillustrated. Such a pump could be removably attached to the mattress 10.If such a pump were used, a single valve could be used to both inflateand deflate the mattress 10. In such an embodiment, the pump couldremovably attach to this valve for inflation, and then be removed fordeflation. An example of such a detachable pump is described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,237,653 to Robert Chaffee. Only one valve is necessary insuch an embodiment.

[0034] In all embodiments, the upper portion 14 is fluidly connected tothe lower chamber 12 by openings 42 defined in the top layer 16 of thelower chamber 12 and the bottom layer 38 of the upper portion 14. Theseopenings 42 are defined in the corners of the upper portion 14 near theedges, as shown in FIG. 10. Air can then flow from the lower chamber 12through the openings 42 and into the upper portion 14 allowing inflationof both the upper 14 and lower 12 sections of the mattress 10 at thesame time. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-12, the openings42 are present in both the top layer 16 of the bottom chamber 12 and thebottom layer 38 of the top portion 14. Welds are preferably includedaround the openings 42 for added durability.

[0035] In the preferred embodiment, four such openings 42 are definedand located in the corners of the upper portion 14. It is also possibleto define the openings 42 in alternative positions, or to use a largeror smaller number of openings 42. A preferred opening 42 size is ¾″ indiameter, but larger or smaller openings 42 can be utilized withoutdeviating from the claimed invention. The openings 42 can also takeshapes other than circular, such as star-shaped or four-pointed. Theopenings 42 can also include reinforced PVC around their circumferenceto enhance their durability.

[0036] The upper portion 14 is preferably of a specialized constructionthat, along with the high elastic K-80 material, allows it to provide amore comfortable sleeping surface. As is shown more clearly in FIGS. 10and 11, the upper portion 14 is constructed such that at least two typesof chambers are formed. These chambers 44, 46 are formed as a result oftwo types of welds 48, 50. Large welds 48 are positioned parallel toeach other and are equally spaced apart. These large welds 48 extendnearly to the edges 52 of the upper portion 14, leaving a passage 54between the first type of chamber 44 and the edges 52 of the upperportion 14. The first type of chamber 44 is located along two sides 56of the upper portion 14. This passage 54 allows air to pass between eachfirst type of chamber 44 as the upper portion 14 is inflated. Thepassages 54 also allow air to travel between each first type of chamber44 when weight is applied to the mattress, allowing it to automaticallyadjust to maintain comfort.

[0037] The second types of welds 50 are evenly spaced and arrangedparallel to each other. The second type of weld 50 is positionedperpendicular to the first type of weld 48 and forms a second type ofchamber 46 in the upper portion 14. This second type of chamber 46 hastwo fluid connections 58 to each adjacent chamber. These fluidconnections are formed as a result of the location of the second type ofweld 50, which does not come in contact with the first type of weld 48.When the pump 30 inflates the lower chamber 12, the air flows into theupper portion 14 and then through the openings 42 connecting the lowerchamber 12 and upper portion 14. The air then flows in the directionshown by the arrows in FIGS. 10 and 11 until the entire upper portion 14is inflated.

[0038] The two types of chambers 44, 46 in the upper portion 14 allowthe upper portion 14 to adjust as different amounts of pressure areapplied to different areas of the upper portion 14 by a user's body. Aircan move between the two types of chambers 44, 46 through the fluidconnections 58 between the chambers 44, 45. This specializedconstruction, along with the pliable material of the upper portion 14,provides an increased amount of comfort above and beyond conventionalair mattresses.

[0039] Alternatively, the upper portion 14 can have a texturedappearance formed by welding or stamping a pattern on the top layer 36of the upper portion 14. One embodiment of the present invention havingan upper portion 14 with a textured appearance is formed by applyingwelding dies to the top layer 36 of the upper portion 14 that aresubstantially sinusoidal in design. Furthermore, in another embodiment,as shown in FIG. 13, successive sinusoidal welding patterns aresubstantially out of phase.

[0040] The claimed invention also encompasses a method of supporting auser. The present method comprises first providing an air mattress 10having two fluidly connected air chambers 12, 14, each of which being atleast partially formed by panels having varying levels of elasticity. Asin the previously described embodiments, these panels are preferablyformed from PVC materials having either high elasticity such as K-8016-gauge PVC or lower elasticity such as K-70 18 or 28-gauge PVC. A pump30 is also provided and is connected to at least one of these airchambers 12, 14, and the chambers 12, 14 are inflated using this pump30. The method further comprises the step of providing a plurality ofstructural elements such as the coils 32 described previously. Thesecoils 32 are defined within one of the chambers 12, and they provideadditional support for a user. These structural elements are preferablydefined in a lower chamber 12. The method further comprises the step ofproviding a valve defined in at least one of the chambers 12, 14 whichallows the chambers 12, 14 to be gradually deflated.

[0041] It should be noted that there could be a wide range of changesmade to the present embodiments without departing from the scope of theclaimed invention. As noted, the welding pattern on the upper portion 14could take different forms. The entire mattress 10 could also beconstructed in any number of shapes and sizes.

[0042] It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed descriptionbe regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it beunderstood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents,that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:
 1. An inflatable support system having at least two sections,said system comprising: a lower chamber comprised of a top and bottomlayer; and an upper portion comprising a top and a bottom layer in fluidcommunication with said lower chamber, wherein at least one of said topand bottom layers of said upper portion has a higher elasticity than atleast one of said layers of said lower chamber.
 2. The inflatablesupport system of claim 1, wherein said upper portion and said bottomchamber are formed from PVC material.
 3. The inflatable support systemof claim 2, wherein a pump is removably connected to said inflatablesupport system.
 4. The inflatable support system of claim 2, furthercomprising a pump attached to a first valve for inflating said upperportion and said lower chamber and a second valve for graduallydeflating said upper portion and said lower chamber.
 5. The inflatablesupport system of claim 4, wherein a user can adjust the pressure withinsaid inflatable support system by alternately inflating said inflatablesupport system with said pump and deflating said inflatable supportsystem with said second valve.
 6. The inflatable support system of claim5, wherein said lower chamber further comprises a side gusset.
 7. Theinflatable support system of claim 6, wherein said top and said bottomlayers of said upper portion are welded together and said upper portionis welded to said top layer of said lower chamber.
 8. The inflatablesupport system of claim 7, wherein said bottom layer is comprised ofmaterial having a lower elasticity than said side gusset and said toplayer of said lower chamber.
 9. The inflatable support system of claim8, wherein said fluid communication is provided by at least one openingdefined in said bottom layer of said upper portion in substantialalignment with at least one opening defined in said upper layer of saidbottom chamber.
 10. The inflatable support system of claim 9, whereinsaid bottom chamber further comprises a plurality of structural elementsdefined within said bottom chamber.
 11. The inflatable support system ofclaim 10, wherein said structural elements are elongated ovals.
 12. Theinflatable support system of claim 11, wherein said structural elementsare spaced apart to define interstitial spaces within said bottomchamber.
 13. The inflatable support system of claim 12, wherein saidstructural elements are generally upstanding and vertically positioned.14. The inflatable support system of claim 13, wherein said upperportion further comprises first and second types of chambers.
 15. Theinflatable support system of claim 14, wherein said first and secondtypes of chambers are defined by first and second types of welds. 16.The inflatable support system of claim 15, wherein said first and secondtypes of chambers are fluidly connected by openings between said welds.17. An inflatable support system comprising: an upper portion at leastpartially defined by at least a first layer having a first elasticity;and a lower chamber in fluid communication with said upper portion, saidlower chamber at least partially defined by at least a second layerhaving a second elasticity lower than said first elasticity.
 18. Theinflatable support system of claim 17, wherein said first layer of saidupper portion is a top layer of said upper portion.
 19. The inflatablesupport system of claim 18, wherein said upper portion further comprisesa bottom layer of material.
 20. The inflatable support system of claim19, wherein said second layer of material is a top layer of said lowerchamber.
 21. The inflatable support system of claim 20, wherein saidlower chamber is further comprises a bottom layer and a side gusset. 22.The inflatable support system of claim 21, wherein said top layer ofsaid upper portion is constructed from high elastic 16-gauge PVCmaterial.
 23. The inflatable support system of claim 22, wherein saidbottom layer of said lower chamber extends past at least a portion of anouter edge of said top layer.
 24. The inflatable support system of claim23, wherein said top and said bottom layers of said upper portion arewelded together at least at said outer edge of said top layer.
 25. Theinflatable support system of claim 24, wherein said fluid communicationis provided by at least one opening defined in said bottom layer of saidupper portion.
 26. The inflatable support system of claim 25, whereinsaid at least one opening is circular.
 27. The inflatable support systemof claim 26, wherein a plurality of said openings are defined in saidbottom layer of said upper portion.
 28. The inflatable support system ofclaim 27, wherein said upper portion is comprised of a plurality ofchambers.
 29. The inflatable support system of claim 28, wherein saidchambers further comprise a first type and a second type of chamber. 30.The inflatable support system of claim 29, wherein said first type ofchambers are arranged along the outer edges of two opposing sides ofsaid upper portion.
 31. The inflatable support system of claim 30,wherein said second type of chambers comprise all other chambers in saidupper portion.
 32. The inflatable support system of claim 26, whereinsaid second layer is welded to produce a textured appearance.
 33. Aninflatable support system comprising: an upper portion defined by aplurality of flexible panels, at least some of said panels of said upperportion having a first elasticity; and a lower chamber defined by aplurality of flexible panels, at least some of said panels of said lowerchamber having a second elasticity less than said first elasticity. 34.The inflatable support system of claim 33, wherein at least some of saidpanels of said upper portion further comprise 16-gauge PVC material. 35.The inflatable support system of claim 34, wherein at least some of saidpanels of said upper portion further comprise 18-gauge PVC material. 36.The inflatable support system of claim 35, wherein at least a portion ofsaid lower chamber has a third elasticity less than said secondelasticity.
 37. The inflatable support system of claim 36, wherein atleast some of said panels of said lower chamber further comprise28-gauge PVC material.
 38. The inflatable support system of claim 37,further comprising a plurality of upstanding generally verticalstructural elements defined within said lower chamber and forminginterstitial spaces therein.
 38. The inflatable support system of claim37, wherein said structural elements are of said second elasticity. 38.A method of supporting a user, said method comprising the steps of:providing an air mattress defining at least two fluidly connected airchambers, each of said chambers being at least partially formed bypanels having varying levels of elasticity.
 39. The method of claim 38,further comprising the step of providing a pump connected to at leastone of said chambers and inflating said chambers using said pump. 40.The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of providing aplurality of structural elements defined within one of said chambers,wherein said structural elements provide added support for a user. 41.The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of providing a valvedefined in at least one of said chambers and being capable of graduallydeflating said chambers.